Orioles Designate Jason Berken For Assignment

The Orioles have designated right-hander Jason Berken for assignment, according to Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The move will create space for left-hander Zach Phillips on the 40-man roster.

Berken threw just one big league inning this year while posting a 3.50 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 26 starts for Triple-A Norfolk. The 28-year-old made 24 starts for the O's in 2009 and 81 relief appearances in '10 and '11 and owned a 5.40 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 during that stretch.